Mary Wampler, Tiffany Vergon, Charles Aldarondo, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. HISTORY OF KING CHARLES THE SECOND OF ENGLAND. BY JACOB ABBOTT. PREFACE. The author of this series has made it his special object to confine himself very strictly, even in the most minute details which he records, to historic truth. The narratives are not tales founded upon history, but history itself, without any embellishment or any deviations from the strict truth, so far as it can now be discovered by an attentive examination of the annals written at the time when the events themselves occurred. In writing the narratives, the author has endeavored to avail himself of the best sources of information which this country affords; and though, of course, there must be in these volumes, as in all historical accounts, more or less of imperfection and error, there is no intentional embellishment. Nothing is stated, not even the most minute and apparently imaginary details, without what was deemed good historical authority. The readers, therefore, may rely upon the record as the truth, and nothing but the truth, so far as an honest purpose and a careful examination have been effectual in ascertaining it. CONTENTS. Chapter I. INFANCY II. PRINCE CHARLES'S MOTHER III. QUEEN HENRIETTA'S FLIGHT IV. ESCAPE OF THE CHILDREN V. THE PRINCE'S RECEPTION AT PARIS VI. NEGOTIATIONS WITH ANNE MARIA VII. THE ROYAL OAK OF BOSCOBEL VIII. THE KING'S ESCAPE TO FRANCE IX. THE RESTORATION X. THE MARRIAGE XI. CHARACTER AND REIGN XII. CONCLUSION CHAPTER I. INFANCY. King Charles the Second was the son and successor of King Charles the First. These two are the only kings of the name of Charles that have appeared, thus far, in the line of English sovereigns. Nor is it very probable that there will soon be another. The reigns of both these monarchs were stained and tarnished with many vices and crimes, and darkened by national disasters of every kind, and the name is thus connected with so many painful associations in the minds of men, that it seems to have been dropped, by common consent, in all branches of the royal family.